A bio box for Eric Jack
Updated: November 25, 2024
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2024 Champions of Health Care
Champions of Health Care: Jack modernizes small town firefighting
Photo | Courtesy of ERIC JACK
Eric Jack (far left) went with some Royalston firefighters to a fire in Athol.
By Sloane M. Perron
Eric Jack has built his career on service to others and looking at the bigger picture.
After serving in the National Guard for seven years, Jack decided to take an EMT class, the first step in a career full of life-saving moments and calls for leadership, which Jack reliably answered.
Jack started serving as an EMT on the Athol Fire Department and in 2010 became captain of the department. He consistently pursued degrees and training in his field, and this self-improvement resulted in his hiring as chief of the Royalston Fire Department in 2020. In his dual roles as captain for Athol and chief for Royalston, Jack sees first-hand the diverse needs that bigger towns with more resources like Athol have versus rural municipalities such as Royalston.
“We can't always reward our teams monetarily, but we have to reward them by creating an environment where they want to come to work, where they feel respected by their colleagues, and where they feel respected by their leader, and I think all of that describes what Eric has done in the three-plus years he's been here,” said Deborah D'Amico, former chair of the Royalston Select Board, who was part of the fire chief hiring process.
Jack did the research and took the initiative to apply for grants to purchase the necessary supplies and equipment Royalston needed. Since the start of his tenure as fire chief, Jack has secured more than $400,000 in funding for the department from places such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, resulting in the purchase of firefighter turnout gear, new radios, air compressors, upgrades for emergency vehicles, and a tow vehicle to assist the department’s large and active animal rescue team.
“We've been able to keep the burden off the taxpayers as much as possible, because obviously, the tax base in Royalston is not as robust as it is in Athol because of the population difference,” Jack said.
Jack is proud of his work on both the Athol and Royalston fire departments, but as a chief he is committed to being a team player with an emphasis on building the skills of everyone in his department.
“I am proud of just being able to bring the team together. We have a really close-knit group, and we've been able to modernize the fire department and bring new equipment, new training, and new ideas. We were able to take it from where it was and just make it a little better,” he said.
Worker shortages and emergency service professionals moving to bigger towns for better pay are struggles chiefs of small town departments like Jack must face. The social gathering aspect used to be a big draw for on call/volunteer departments like Royalston, but busier schedules mean less people available to join the department. More often than not, Jack finds himself on the truck rushing to fires or providing paramedic support. To combat the shortages, Jack has focused on comprehensive recruiting by selecting individuals who are enthusiastic and committed to paramedics and firefighting.
“To be chief, especially of a small department, you just have to give it 110%. You have to care. You have to motivate your people and just be on top of the little things,” he said.
D’Amico said Jack is always willing to learn from and help others, whether through his other role at Athol or even connecting with departments in nearby New Hampshire to organize group training.
“He was and is tenacious. He follows through on things. He keeps his bosses, meaning the board, up to date on things that are going on in the department. He sees himself as part of a larger first responder team. So, he has worked with our police chief and our emergency management director and looks at the big picture of what the needs are of the town,” she said.
D’Amico credits Jack for galvanizing a small department previously not up to date in its training. Within his first year as chief, Jack obtained substantial grants from FEMA and then made sure his team was current and competent in their firefighting training.
“He really stepped in and led the department in a way that they were really ready for,” D’Amico said.
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